Chapter 15

• The digital clock on the nightstand read exactly 6:30 AM when I threw the silk duvet off my body.
• There was no trace of the exhaustion that had plagued me for the past few days. My mind was sharp, focused, and entirely rewired. The sheer terror of discovering that serpent carved in the stone maze—and watching Joaquin sneak back into the estate like a midnight executioner—had crystallized into a single, unyielding objective.
• Fear wasn't going to keep me alive. Submission wasn't going to get me answers. But a carefully crafted illusion? That would give me everything. I walked into the walk-in closet and bypassed the dark, defensive colors I usually gravitated toward. Instead, I pulled out a soft, butter-yellow sundress. It was bright, innocent, and completely disarming—the exact antithesis of a girl plotting a murder. I brushed my long dark hair until it fell in soft, loose waves over my bare shoulders, pinched my cheeks to bring some artificial color to my pale complexion, and forced my lips to curve into a bright, practiced smile in the mirror.